Category: Uncategorized

Friday 27 September from 4.30pm

Join us for a special get-together to celebrate the completion of the eight Greenwood Trails and the launch of the Rusland Horizons Trust.

At 4.30 pm we will gather for a modest walk along one of the latest Greenwood Trails, this will then be followed by general frivolity and merriment back at the Grizedale Café from 6.30 pm. There will be a ceremonial ‘handover’ of Rusland Horizons from the Partnership to the new Trust (with the very minimum of speech-making), as well as displays, films and copies of all the Rusland Horizons publications.

More details can be found in the newsletter issued last week, if you have not seen this then please check your spam file as it appears a number of our recent emails have been delivered into this file rather than your inbox.

Alternatively you can find details on the What’s On page of our Website ruslandhorizons.org.

We look forward to seeing you there!

From all at Rusland Horizons

Mersey Forest Job Opportunity – Community Development

The Mersey Forest has a vacancy for a Community Development Officer. This role is critical for the delivery and development of our Forest Plan ambitions.  

https://jobs.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/vacancy/community-development-officer-398809.html

I wonder if you could circulate the link to your networks and anyone you think might be interested?

Paul Nolan

Project Director | The Mersey Forest Team

Tel. 01925 816217

You are cordially invited to another Oak Bark peeling day at Moss and Heights Spring Wood, Bouth.Come and join us for a relaxed day to the sound of Oak releasing its tenuous grip to its bark covering.
Great social day and at the end of the day the bark will be gathered and bundled, stored in a dry location ready to be collected for its journey down to the last tannery in the UK that uses oak bark to tan its leather – JF & J Baker in Devon.
During the day, there will also be some remedial work to be done on the Wood – boardwalk repair and some overhang to be cut back along the road.
See you there, 10 am start.

Moss & Heights Springs Wood (MHSW)

http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/wood/4391/moss-height-spring-wood/

So, what is National Coppice Week?
It’s a week of events throughout the UK focusing on coppicing, coppice products and the many benefits of the management of British woodlands by coppicing.

Actually we are proposing 9 days – including two weekends, 12th-20th October, launching at the NCFed weekend Gathering and AGM in Herefordshire on 12th October.
What does it aim to achieve?
To raise the profile of:

1. Coppicing – what it is and why it’s done
2. Products of the UK’s coppiced woodland
3. The benefits of buying local and the problems often associated with imported products, especially charcoal
4. Habitat and biodiversity benefits associated with coppice management
5. Coppicing’s heritage

Please see attached document for full explanation of the proposal:

The European Straw Bale Gathering (ESBG) is a biennial event, which the UK is privileged to be hosting, for the first time, in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. ESBG is one of the most important meetings of straw bale builders, professionals and admirers of this natural building method and material. ESBG this year is part of the Interreg funded UP Straw project. In keeping with the aims of UP Straw, we will be demonstrating the wonderful insulation, fuel cost cutting and carbon reduction properties of building with straw to: planners, architects, public authorities, universities, self-builders and communities.

ESBG 2019 is all about…
 Exploring healthy public buildings made from straw
 Raising awareness of the benefits of constructing public buildings from straw
 Highlighting features & benefits of straw bale buildings
 Understanding public procurement, building regulations, green mortgages and
insurance
 Inspirational case studies
 Networking for professionals and students in the sector
“Straw is an excellent material for building and insulating new and existing buildings. Straw is CO2 negative because CO2 is stored in straw during growth, widely available, fully recyclable and has a rapid growth cycle,” said Barbara Jones, Director of the School of Natural Building. “Straw is warm in winter and cool for ever!”
Exciting speakers, from many European countries, have already been confirmed, including:
 Chris Magwood, who runs the Endeavour Sustainable Building School in Canada. Chris is a
Designer, Consultant, Researcher, Writer, Teacher and Builder. His books include:

• Essential Sustainable Home Design (2017)
• Essential Prefab Straw Bale Construction (2016)
• Essential Hempcrete Construction (2016)
   Glynis Kirkwood-Warren, who was born and raised in Tottenham. Glynis was brought up on sharing, helping and supporting others, so it was no surprise that she would be part of a unique community led project to redevelop a forgotten and unloved local park in one of the
  most deprived and misrepresented areas of London. The successful redevelopment of the park was completed in 2012, but who was going to run the newly built straw bale, timber
• framed passive house in the middle of the park? Enter Glynis with another ridiculous idea, a
• band of passionate locals and a learning curve of epic proportions…
•  Murray Davidson, Environment & Natural Resources Manager Hastings Borough Council,
• will be talking about public procurement and straw, with the intriguing title: ‘Public
• procurement of straw bale buildings – a step up or the straw that breaks the camel’s back!’
•  FIND OUT ABOUT OTHER SPEAKERS HERE: www.esbg2019.org.uk

As well as 3 full days of stimulating talks and workshops, ESBG participants will also have the chance to visit some amazing straw bale buildings in and around West Yorkshire, including:
The Ecology Building Society in Halifax

Event Details
 Dates: Thursday 15 August to Sunday 18 August 2019
 Location: Todmorden Learning Centre, Todmorden, West Yorkshire
 Tickets: Full Conference: £195 to £250. Day Tickets: £70 to £95
 Event Website: http://www.esbg2019.org/tickets/
For more details, ring Eileen Sutherland on 07857 890805 or email her on: [email protected]

A feature on British charcoal that was on the Channel 4 Jamie and Jimmie’s  Friday Night Feast – View here

Coppice or affiliated Group members are encouraged to share the link with their customers and clients to help promote more awareness and use of our  great British Charcoal.

If you are a charcoal producer, you are asked to register your details on the NcFed Charcoal register via the link below as  they are really pushing to update the NcFed charcoal Producer’s Directory so that it is as comprehensive as possible. – View here

RAPID WOODLAND ASSESSMENT – PLANTLIFE

TAKE PART IN THE RAPID WOODLAND ASSESSMENT TO HELP IDENTIFY IMPORTANT
WOODLANDS FOR LOWER PLANTS…

PLANTLIFE HAS BEEN AWARDED A HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND GRANT TO DELIVER AN EXCITING TWO YEAR PROJECT (2018-2020), PROVIDING PEOPLE WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCOVER THE LICHENS, MOSSES AND LIVERWORTS (LOWER PLANTS) FOUND WITHIN THE ATLANTIC WOODLANDS OF THE LAKE DISTRICT.

Plantlife’s Rapid Woodland Assessment (RWA) is a tool used to assess a
woodlands potential to support important lichens and bryophytes of
conservation interest. By completing this assessment in a local
woodland, you are contributing to our knowledge surrounding the
condition of the region’s Atlantic woodlands, generating information on
woodland composition, structure, important habitat features, lichen
indicators, woodland threats and management. Please find the survey
brochure and forms attached.

FREE LICHEN / BRYOPHYTE IDENTIFICATION GUIDES CAN BE ORDERED AND DOWNLOADED HERE: WWW.PLANTLIFE.ORG.UK/LOST [1]

There are a series of FREE introductory events on offer across the Lake
District, to provide support and guidance in completing the Rapid
Woodland Assessment:

·        RWA EVENTS CAN BE FOUND HERE: WWW.PLANTLIFE.ORG.UK/EVENTS [2]

Please circulate this opportunity around your contacts and wider
networks to those who would be interested in completing this assessment.
Whether you are a woodland owner or someone who regularly walks in a wood, use this survey to deepen your understanding and produce valuable information on the condition of woodlands across the Lake District.

After completing the survey, data can be entered online through the
iRecord link below. This information will feed into Plantlife’s national
database and collated with data from South West England, helping provide a clearer picture of the state of Atlantic woodlands across the UK WWW.BRC.AC.UK/IRECORD/EXTERNAL/PLANTLIFE-RAPID-WOODLAND-ASSESSMENT [3]

For more information or support with the Rapid Woodland Assessment
please contact:

APRIL WINDLE

SENIOR PROJECT OFFICER LOST

TEL: 07584 017341

CBDC, Herbert Atkinson House, 13 Abbey Street, Carlisle, CA3 8TX

www.plantlife.org.uk/LOST [1]

Go HERE to book your place – Filling up fast!

*Please help us to promote this event with your family, friends and colleagues to make WITW a continued, annual successful event – down load promotional flyers HERE